Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of residential respite care on disruptive behavior displayed by older people, particularly those with dementia. Methods: A quasi-experimental, repeated measures, single group design was employed. The participants were a consecutive series of 100 older people with a mean age of 81.8 years (range 66 – 96 years) who had been booked for a respite admission to one of several residential aged care facilities in a provincial Australian city. A diagnosis of dementia was reported for 29% of the sample. Disruptive behaviors were rated before and after the period of respite by home caregivers (N=100) and during the period of respite by nurses (N=25) using the Dementia Behavior Disturbance Scale (DBDS). Results: Age, male gender and the presence of dementia were all significantly related to the frequency of reported disruptive behaviors. Residential respite care was associated with a significant reduction in the frequency of reported disruptive behaviors in older people (Wald statistic = 28.28, p < 0.0001). However, this improvement in behavior did not persist into the post-respite period. The deteriorating behavioral trajectory that was evident prior to respite care continued following the period of respite care. Conclusions: Residential respite care was associated with a temporary diminution in the frequency of reported disruptive behaviors in older people. This finding should be reassuring both for those family carers considering placing a loved one in residential respite care and for those health workers considering whether to recommend such a course of action.